World - Asia
Updated: September 24, 2022

Hazardous Weather Kills 36 In India

By Quadri Adejumo
September 24, 2022
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Hazardous weather killed at least 36 people in northern India on Saturday, including 12 who died after being struck by lightning.

Across the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, some 24 people died after their homes collapsed amid unrelenting rains, Relief Commissioner Ranvir Prasad said.

Officials also said 39 people in the state have died from lightning in the last five days, prompting the state government to issue new guidelines for how people can protect themselves during a thunderstorm.

Global warming has also increased the frequency of lightning, said Sunita Narain, director general at the Center for Science and Environment.

There has been a 34 per cent rise in lightning strikes across India over the past year, which has caused deaths to also jump.

The country recorded 1,489 deaths due to lightning in 2016, and the number grew to 2,869 in 2021.